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Factors Associated with Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Among Medical Students in Bahrain

  • Empirical Report
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Abstract

Objectives

Medical training can be a stressful experience and may negatively impact mental health for some students. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among medical students in one international medical university in the Kingdom of Bahrain and to determine associations between these symptoms, the students’ characteristics, and their satisfaction with life.

Methods

This is a cross sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire, distributed to 350 enrolled medical students. We used Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI) instruments to assess depressive and anxiety symptoms. The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) was used to measure global cognitive judgments of one’s life satisfaction. Sociodemographic details including social background and academic information were also documented.

Results

Forty percent (n = 124) of the participants had depressive symptoms, of which 18.9% (n = 58) met the criteria for mild, 13% (n = 40) for moderate, and 8.5% (n = 26) for severe depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were associated with Arab ethnicity (χ 2 = 5.66, p = .017), female gender (χ 2 = 3.97, p = .046), relationship with peers (p < .001), year of study (χ 2 = 13.68, p = .008), and academic performance (p < 0.001). Anxiety symptoms were present in 51% (n = 158) of students. Anxiety symptoms were associated with female gender (χ 2 = 11.35, p < 0.001), year of study (χ 2 = 10.28, p = .036), and academic performance (χ 2 = 14.97, p = .002).

Conclusion

The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms among medical students was high. Medical universities in the Middle East may need to allocate more resources into monitoring and early detection of medical student distress. Medical education providers are encouraged to provide adequate pastoral and psychological support for medical students, including culturally appropriate self-care programs within the curriculum.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Bahrain, Muharraq, Kingdom of Bahrain

    Zaid A. Mahroon, Saif M. Borgan, Charlotte Kamel, Wendy Maddison & Maeve Royston

  2. Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Claire Donnellan

Authors
  1. Zaid A. Mahroon
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  2. Saif M. Borgan
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  3. Charlotte Kamel
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  4. Wendy Maddison
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  5. Maeve Royston
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  6. Claire Donnellan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zaid A. Mahroon.

Ethics declarations

The questionnaires were filled anonymously. The confidentially of all participants was maintained and data was stored in a secure location at the office of student well-being at the institution.

Ethical Considerations

The study proposal was reviewed and approved by the institutional review board.

Disclosures

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Funding Sources

None.

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Mahroon, Z.A., Borgan, S.M., Kamel, C. et al. Factors Associated with Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Among Medical Students in Bahrain. Acad Psychiatry 42, 31–40 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-017-0733-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-017-0733-1

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